Yoke for railway draft-gears



S. SIMONSON.

YOKEAFOR RAILWAY DRAFT GEARS. APPLlCATlON FILED MAY7, I918.

1, 352, l 5 l Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

N \h a" 11.115111:

UNITED stares EPATENT OFFICE.

SIGVARD SIMONSON, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-SIGNOR TO HARRY VISSERING &

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, -A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

YOKE non RAILWAY DRAFT-GEARS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Application filed May 7, 1918. Serial No. 233,021.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States, and a resident V of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yokes for Railway Draft-Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention'relates to railway draftgear yokes. V V

One object of the invention is to provide a one-piece forged yoke which comprises side-members having their front ends formed to be keyed to a coupler shank and an integral connection at the back, the sides having transversely alined openings therein adapted to receive laterally the draft-gear. Such a construction makes possible, in a one-piece yoke, direct transmission of the pulling stresses from the front ends of the sides to the back of the yoke which is centrally disposed with respectto the rear fol-' lower-plate or rear of the draft-gear, and this characteristic is attained by forming openings in the integral side-members so that portions of the latter will over and underlie the shock-absorbing device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a one-piece yoke whereby the pulling stresses will be directlyv transmitted from the front portions of the yoke to the back by rearwardly converging tension members so that compressive stresses only will be exerted by the yoke upon the rear follower plate, as contra-distinguished from bending moment resulting from application of the stresses to a follower plate laterally of the draft-geark This result is attained by forming the yoke of convergent integral sides with a narrow connecting back therebetween and having openings in the sides to receive and retain the draft-gear.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved draft-gear yoke which is simple in construction and efficient to withstand maximum stresses with a given weight of metal.

Other objects of the inventionwillbe apparent from the detail description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more par ticularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan of a railway draft-gear embodying the invention, parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 1s a longitudinal section of the'draft-yoke and connected parts, some of which are shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the yoke. .Fig. 4 is a transverse section on a line tic-45 of Fig. 2.

The invention is illustrated as applied to arailway draft-gear comprising a coupler 9 disposed between a pair of draft-beams 10, a key 11 extending through the coupler shank and elongated slots 11 in thedraftbeams, a draft-gear 14, ofany suitable construction, interposed between the front and rear follower-plates'lo and 16, front stops l2 and rear stops 13, as well understood in the art, and-the improved yoke hereinafter dethe rear of the yoke.

The improved yoke comprises integral sides 18'and 19 and a curved connecting back 20. The yoke is of such construction that it can be forged and formed of a bar comprising top and bottom flanges 21 and 22 and a vertical connecting web 23 which has a rib or thickened central portion 24, and thin portions-extendin g from the outer face of the flanges to'the inner margins of the rib 24. Adjacent the front end'of each yoke-side, a transverse slot 25 is formed and the metal at the front of these slots is swaged or upset, as at 26, to reinforce the front end of the key-slot. The key 11 extends through slots 25 to secure the yoke to the coupler shank. An opening 30 is formed in the web and between the top and-bottom flanges of each yoke-side. Each of these openings is of suflicient length and height for the lateral insertion of the follower plates 15 and .16 and'the draft-gear 14. The front follower plate 15 is adapted to engage the front, and the rear follower plate 16 is adapted to engage the back edges of openings 3O inthe yoke-sides. The front edges and the rear edges of these openings are inclined from the tops and bottoms to a vertical central surface 31, to cause the yoke to be engaged by the follower plates substantially at the center of the yoke and to centralize the applied stresses on these plates for substantially even distribution to the ends of the draft-gear. This formation results in holding the follower-plates truly and avoids contacting surfaces adjacent the top and bottom portions of these plates,

plates. The thickened portion 24: of the web '23 reinforres' the back edges 31 which engage the rear follower plate, andalso reinforces the entire back of or integralconneeting portions between the yoke-sides. The metalin front of openings is forged to form reinforcement 26 around and in front of the key-slots and is flattened between said openings and said reinforcement to leave clearance between the front stops l2 and the outer faces of the yoke-sides. A saddle plate 35 bears on the lower convergent draft members of the yoke and holds the draft gear against displacement. V

The method of forging the im pro ved yoke is exemplified and claimed in an implication'filed byme May T, 1918, Serial N 233,022 for the method of making said yokes. V

V The front ends ofthe one-piece yoke are separated sufficiently to receive the couplershank, and the sides converge from the front portions to the semi-circular integral back connection 20. Forming the openings 30 for the draft-gear and follower plates in the'y oke-sides, as shown, leaves each side with upper and lower connecting members between the front and back which are disposed to vertically clear the draft-gear, so that the sides and these bars ina converge to centrally apply the pulling stresses to the rear follower plate.

The invention exemplifies a one-piece yoke which has integral sides with openings adapted for transverse insertion of the draft-gear and follower plates. also a onepiece yoke with convergent sides which have members or portions disposed above and below the draft-gear and follower plates and whereby the pulling stresses are applied in' the direction of said draft-members to the back of the yoke where they are centrally applied to the rear follower plate without bending moment upon said plate. Also one I which is adapted to be forged and in which the necessity of riveting or lockin a p-lurality of side nembers together is avoided;

, The invention also exemplifies a yoke in whichthe tensile strength of metal is fully utilized to render the yoke eflicient inuse.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the detailsset forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended cl aims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

,Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

, a n 1. A drart-gear yoke consisting of a forg- 'ing'having sides and a connecting back in tegral with said sides, the latter having.

their front ends separated and formed for keying to the coupler shank and having longitudinally extending openings therein between the back and the front ends adapted for the lateral insertion of the draft-gear.

2. A draftgear yoke consisting of a forging of general U shape, having openings through the members thereof between the front and rear ends to permit the 11186111011 and removal of the draft-gear laterally, and lean g a vertical rear portion arranged to a J! T] 1 L I lie behind the rear ionowei plate and I01- ward web portions lying in front of the .front follower plate, said front-portions being formed for keying to the coupler shank, t u e l r -i hsaosed laterall of one h nieinbe s be 1g 6 another and the back forming a horizontal connection therebetween.

front ends spaced apart laterally and formed for keying to the sides of the cou-- pier shank .and having longitudinally extending openings between the back and the front ends for the draft-gear, said sides being rearwardly convergent relativelyto each other for centralized application of the stresses to the back ofthe draft-gear.

t. A draft-gear yoke consisting ofa forging having sides disposed laterally ofone another and a back integral with said sides,

the latter having their front ends spaced apart laterally and formed for keying to the coupler-shank, and openings thereinbe tween the front ends and the back, each side having upper and lower longitudinal members above and below the openings respectively and formed to over, and underlie the draft-gear. V V

5. A draft-gear yoke consisting ofaforging having sides disposed laterally of one another, and rearwardly divergent rela-f tively to each other and a back integral with said sides, the latter havingv their front ends spaced apart laterally and formed for keying to the coupler shank and vopenings therein between the front ends and the back, each side having upper and lower longi tudinal members above and below the openings respectively and formed to overand underlie the draft-gear. 7

6. A draft-gear yoke of general U shape consisting of a forging having a rear portion or column arranged .to lie behindfthe arranged to lie in front of the front follower plate and respectively on the two sides of the coupler shank, and four draft members arranged in pairs symmetrically with reference to the longitudinal axis of the draftgear, the upper draft members of each pair being integral extensions from the upper end of the rear portion and from the top edges of the two front web portions and the lower draft members of each pair being integral extensions from the lower end of the rear portion and from the lower edges of the two front web portions, the upper and lower draft members of each pair lying re spectively above and below the draftgear to permit the insertion and removal of the draft-gear laterally, and said front web portions being provided with means for keying to the coupler shank.

7. A draft-gear yoke consisting of a forging having a narrow rear portion or column arranged to lie behind the back follower plate, two front web portions arranged to lie in frontof the front follower plate and respectively on the two sides of the coupler shank, and four draft members arranged in pairs symmetrically with reference to the longitudinal axis of the draft-gear, the upper draft members being integral extensions from the upper end of the rear portion and from the upper edges of the front web portions and the lower draft members being integral extensions from the lower end of the rear portion and from the lower edges of the front web portions, the front web portions being provided with means for connection to the coupler shank, said pairs of draft members diverging in a straight line from the narrow rear portion to the front web portions, whereby the draft stresses are applied directly through the integral structure to the rear portion of the yoke, the upper and lower draft members of each pair lyingrespectively above and below the draft gear to permit the insertion and removal of the draft-gear laterally.

8. A draft-gear yoke consisting of a forging having sides disposed laterally of one another and a connecting back integral with another and a connecting back integral with Y the sides, top and bottom inwardly extending flanges on the sides and back and a connecting web between the flanges, the sides having openings therein for the lateral insertion of the draft-gear and having their front portions spaced apart laterally and formed for keying to the sides of a couplershank, said web having a thickened zone in y the rear of said openings.

10. A draft-gear yoke consisting of a forging having sides disposed laterally of one another and a back, the sides having their front portions spaced apart laterally and formed for attachment to the couplershank and having openings therein for the insertion and removal of the draft-gear, the ends of the openings having central bearing surfaces and being inclined away from said surfaces.

11. A one-piece draft yoke consisting of a A forging having a rear portion arranged to lie behind the back follower plate, forward portions spaced apart laterally and lying in front of. the front follower plate-and at the sides of the coupler shank and provided with means for attachment to the latter, a pair of draft-members disposed laterally of one another connecting the upper end of the rear column with the upper portions of the forward side members respectively and lying above the draft-gear, a pair of draftmembers disposed laterally of one another connecting the lower end of the rear column with the lower portions of the forward side members respectively and lying below the draft gear, and a saddle plate resting on the two bottom draft-members and supporting the draftgear.

SIGVARD SIMONSON. 

